Raw Spicy Onion Rings

I have to admit that this rainy summer is getting to me, but not so much in a negative way… it just seems to drive me into the kitchen! So today as the clouds hang low I turn my attention back into the kitchen. I had this large bag of onions staring me down so I decided to tackle it with a vengeance! I have played around with raw onion breads in the past but today I wanted to try something different. Long ago I did make onion rings (which were mighty tasty) but today I wanted to try to make some that were more realistic looking and had a bit more of a crunchy breading to them.

I paced the kitchen, opening every cabinet door, repeatedly, racking my brain for the right ingredients. In time a combination of ingredients were peppered all over my counters and as a mad scientist, I went to work. I had about 5 different combos going, making small test batches.

You will want to create a dredging station on your counter. I used the same concept as though I were going to make the cooked version of onion rings. Please read through this recipe before you start. I tried to type out all the steps and ingredients in a format that would be easy, so please don’t let the length of this entry scare you. :) I promise it is very easy!

Dredging Station #1:

1/2 cup of Mesquite flour **see below***

Preparation:

Place flour in a bowl that is large enough for you to dip your onion ring into and get a good coating. Not much of the flour will stick to the onion itself but it will help give the onion a nice dry surface.

**If you don’t have mesquite flour, you could use coconut flour, garlic or onion powder or any other type of really fine powder that you might have in your pantry. The main thing to keep an eye out for is that it is a very fine powder.**

Dredging Station #2:

1/2 cup of Almond or nut milk

Preparation:

After dipping your onion ring in the flour, dip it into the nut milk.

Dredging Station #3:

2 cups golden flax, ground

1 cup raw cashew, ground

4 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

Preparation:

Using your magic bullet or coffee grinder, grind your flax seeds to a powder. Place in a bowl. Next grind your cashew nuts in the same manner and add to the flax seeds.

Now mix in the remaining ingredients, making sure that the spices get mixed in real well.

After dipping the onion ring into the flour and milk, place it into the flax mixture and coat it really well. I used a chop stick to lift the onion ring up and out of the batter, tapping it gently on the side of the bowl to release any extra batter. I started off with a fork and even just tried my fingers but the batter seemed to stick more to me or the fork than it did to the onion so the chop stick worked beautifully.

Place the coated onion ring on the teflex sheet on your dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate for approx. 16 hrs at 105 degrees.

Storage:

Place the onion rings, gently, in a container that will seal well. To be honest I am not sure how long they will last…they seem to be disappearing quickly here!

Oh of course I do Mary… you can really use any special spice flavor that fits into your diet and liking. :) Dill would be great, but then I am a dill lover. :) Black pepper would work or a bit of horseradish powder to get that heat. I hope that helps a little bit. Enjoy Mary, amie sue